Beginning of the End
by Bean Rua
Summary: Forces are at work to rescue Captain Jack Sparrow before his surviving crew ever reaches Tia Dalma. Follow the tale that begins toward the end of 'Dead Man's Chest' and runs an alternate ending on the PotC saga.
1. Chapter 1

**Beginning of the End**

**Chapter One**

Lily watched with a fascinated horror as the ship went down, the vessel and its captain consumed like fodder by the greedy gut on the kraken. Somewhere between disbelief and anger, the woman bobbed in the water some yards away from the demise of the _Black Pearl_ and its infamous captain, Jack Sparrow. "Heartless…"

She knew better than to finish the muttered curse. It was pointless to state the obvious. Davy Jones was indeed a heartless monster, so it was wasted energy for Lily to state such. With a heavy exhalation of breath, she turned and dove beneath the water, swimming away from the kraken's feasting place.

The deeper she sank beneath the surface of the Caribbean, the cold fingers of sunless ocean depths wrapped more tightly around Lily's skin and scales. Her first thought was to go directly to the _Flying Dutchman_ and confront Captain Jones, but she thought better of it and headed in a far more familiar direction.

The water became murkier as Lily moved further inland, as Caribbean blue became swampy green. Already, Dalma's acolytes were heralding the loss of Captain Jack Sparrow, sinking into the dark waters holding votive candles, paying silent honor to him. Lily slowed her pace to avoid knocking anyone over with the strength of her tail. Reaching the dock to the priestess' house, her head emerged, and a strong hand was offered to help her out.

"Thought ye'd be here sooner rather than later," the gruff voice noted with dark amusement. "Even brought ye somethin' to dry off with."

Once Lily was dragged onto the dock, she took the offered towel and rubbed it on her long, black hair, letting the fabric suck in the water. The process of drying her hair took far longer than it did for her tail to shift into legs. She stood up slowly, without her companion's assistance, and wrapped the towel around her nude body, trapping damp hair against her skin. "Is she going to do anything?"

He rolled a green apple around in his palm, shrugging a shoulder. "Only if they come." A pregnant pause followed, the silence filled only with the man's roguish grin. "Do ye think they will, Lily?"

"Yes!" the mermaid answered emphatically, without even taking a moment to think about her response. Lily frowned deeply at him, especially when that smug show of teeth bit savagely into the apple. "You're an ogre, Hector. An ill-mannered cur of an ogre," she spat before jerking away from him, taking the stairs two at a time.

His laughter followed her into Dalma's abode. Lily didn't look for the woman herself, but instead slipped into the back to rummage through a trunk full of clothes. The wet towel was discarded without concern, and she quickly donned a simple, flowing dress of teal and tan, cinching a belt of gold coins around her waist.

Lily gasped when a hand fell upon her shoulder, turning quickly and ready to punch Hector should he be leering at her, but there was no need. Dalma held out a boned comb to the dark-haired woman. "You wasted no time, Lily," the Voodoun pointed out, a mixture of amusement and sadness in her tone. "Do you plan on bein' here when dey arrive? Hide behind da screen and spy?" The mermaid took the comb, only to have her wrist grabbed by the priestess, and was led to the bed. "Sit. I will fix your hair."

Lily did as she was bidden, showing nothing but reverence to the woman who crawled behind her on the bed, reclaiming the comb to work on the damp, curly locks that framed her lithe body. "I don't know. I hadn't thought about it. I want to hel--…"

"Well, you can't!" Dalma interrupted, pulling on Lily's hair to emphasize that point. "You are lucky I do not prevent you from seein' Captain Jones." In contrast to the rough treatment not seconds ago, now the priestess' fingers were gentle and soothing as they worked out the knots in the ebon tresses.

Lily huffed out a recalcitrant sigh and her fingers knotted in her flimsy skirt. "You couldn't stop me if I truly wanted to. You know that." She peeked over her shoulder at the woman. "But you also know I will not disobey you." She faced forward and began tugging on the fabric that was much stronger than it appeared to be. "What can I do then?"

Dalma didn't answer at first, as if listening for something. She began to hum a tune that Lily knew all too well. She'd heard it here, in this house, from a music box, as well as on the _Flying Dutchman_ from the box's mate. "You can keep Jack company," the Voodoun finally said. "Tell him no'ting, dough. Just…occupy him so he does not get in trouble…again."

"I can't tell him who I am?" Lily inquired with skeptical curiosity, lowering a hand without looking when she felt fur against her ankles. Jack climbed up her arm, over her lap to the other side of the bed. The monkey sat on the edge of the bed, tail wagging behind him, and watched the two women with beady, curious eyes.

"Especially not dat," Dalma admonished, though her tone wasn't as harsh as it had been before. "Jack Sparrow is a fiendish man, even if he is a good one. Da less he know about you, dear girl, da better." The priestess leaned over to pull a ribbon that peeked out from a jewelry box and used it to fashion Lily's hair into a loose ponytail. "Dere. It's done."

Lily rose from the bed, turning to face Dalma, who lounged back on the mattress. "Why does he do it? Why does Captain Jones deny these men their final rest?" When she'd asked the question before, there was accusation in her tone, but not now. The mermaid felt deeply sorry for the mishap captain.

Dalma leaned forward to slip off the bed and stood before Lily. The same height, their eyes met with ease. "He is lonely, child. Lonely and miserable, so he takes his company as he can."

The mermaid frowned, greatly displeased with the answer, but she knew better than to push. "And when will you tell me about the music box? The one Captain Jones has as well?"

Tension registered only briefly in the Voodoun's features, and then she gently held Lily's hands. "When da time is right, Lily. I will tell you how I came into possession of dat lovely trinket, but dat time is not today." She patted the mermaid's cheek softly, a tender smile on her chapped lips. "Go now and fetch Captain Barbossa. I don't want him out and about when Jack's crew arrives."

Lily's nosed wrinkled up. Why she had ever helped bring that man back from World's End, she'd never know. Had Dalma not directly told her to, the mermaid would most certainly have left him there after Barbossa called her 'his scaly siren.' And even now, she didn't want to go get him, but the dark-haired young woman nodded, stepping around Dalma to do as she was requested.

"Yes, Mama. I'll fetch the cur for you."

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	2. Chapter 2

**Beginning of the End**

**Chapter Two**

Lily sat on the back verandah of Dalma's house, impatiently awaiting the sounds of oars in the water. Certainly Will, Elizabeth and company would be arriving soon! There was no time to waste, for the longer Jack remained at World's End, the more difficult it would be to get him back.

She had overheard her mother and Barbossa whispering about the plan, should the _Black Pearl's_ remaining crew wish to rescue their captain from his too-early end. He would lead them. That salacious cad would be the guide to fetch Captain Jack Sparrow from World's End?! Lily shuddered at the thought of taking orders from that man.

The sound of heavy footfall warned the mermaid of Barbossa's arrival, and the former captain took a seat beside her, overlooking the bayou. "You been strangely quiet, lass. Not used to that," he mused with surly chuckling. "More upset that Jack's gone or that Jones is responsible for it?"

Lily shot him a glare that could freeze the warmest tropical waters. That man had done nothing but antagonized her since the moment she swam up to him. "Why do you care anyway, Hector? Isn't the fact I'm vexed give you enough amusement?"

"Now, Lily…" Barbossa tsked softly, shaking his head. "I like vexin' you none at all. Yer mother could send me back if I upset ye enough. Yet you never say a word of the like to her. So you strike me as a riveting mystery. Just tryin' to figure out what makes ya tick."

A dubious gaze was given the man. Lily had her suspicions about Hector Barbossa. A man that mutinied against his captain out of greed was the worst sort of sea dog. "I know Jack none; only by what Mama has told me. Captain Jones I know and…" She just couldn't finish it, what she wanted to say.

So Barbossa did it for her. "And you want to save him from his miserable existence?" He shook his head, reaching up to rub his fingers over his beard. "Lily, it would take a miracle to save that man. Monster. Whatever he is now."

"He a bit o' both," came Dalma's voice from behind them. "Lily, you can stay, but do not show yourself. Hector…"

Barbossa nodded, rising from his seat to go hide until he'd make his dramatic entrance. He paused, leaning down to murmur to Lily, "Slap Jack for me, when you see him. He's used to it anyway."

Dalma shooed Barbossa up the back stairs, and then peek around the side of the house, probably to espy the progress of the _Black Pearl's_ longboat. "Lily, you will need to leave once Hector shows himself. You know where to find Jack?"

Strong arms pulled the mermaid up by the railing of the veranda, and bare feet padded silently toward the Voodoun. "Yes, I remember. What if Captain Jones is there? He seems to prize Captain Sparrow for some reason. He might guard him?"

Lily's mother waved off the suggestion. "You are a woman, child. You have sweet-talked Davy Jones before. You will do it again," Dalma said with all assurance. "And if he is stubborn, you will outsmart him," she added with a dark grin. "Now hide. Dey are comin' up de steps…"

The mermaid backed to the railing and nimbly hoisted herself up onto the roof of the house, skirting the edges to sit above the doorway. Once everyone was inside, Lily lay on her stomach and barely peeked over the eave of the roof, listening to everything.

Lily was always in awe of her mother, how she held a room in her thrall. She remembered Dalma before she morphed into the sullied Voodoun priestess that catered to the more mystic needs of Caribbean inhabitants now. Lily remembered her mother's beauty, her natural charm and her unyielding ancestral pride. She did not, however, remember her father, and Dalma never spoke of him. The mermaid could tell without an explanation that their relationship did not end well.

It never struck Lily as odd, either, that she was a mermaid, with but a thought able to shift from legs to fin. Then again, she was raised in a home filled with magic and mystery, so the paranormal appeared very normal to her. And she learned early on the wisdom of hiding her familial affiliation from those whom Dalma did not trust. It only took Lily becoming a target once for that lesson to be mastered.

She heard voices rising in agreement. They wanted to rescue Jack! A smile crept upon Lily's lips, and she swiftly moved into a crouched position. Again, the fall of heavy footfalls. She couldn't help but roll her eyes. Certainly Barbossa would have some smart aleck remark to offer as his first comment to what had to be a dumb-founded lot.

"So, tell me, what's become of my ship?"

_What a bloody showman_, Lily thought to herself. She pushed herself up to her feet and fleetly walked to the back of the house. Swinging onto the verandah with ease, the mermaid landed on silent, bare feet and began to undress. Lily left the ribbon in her hair, though, reaching up to tighten it securely around her dark tresses. And then, she quietly lowered herself into the water. Before her head even hit the surface, legs had already become a powerful, black fin.

_Time to find Jack_. Lily blinked a few times to let her eyes adjust to the darkness of the water, and then she began to swim. By the time Barbossa and company were ready to set sail, she would already be at World's End.

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	3. Chapter 3

**Beginning of the End**

**Chapter Three**

"Cor. I think it stinks worse outside his gut than inside."

It was a terrible sight. Everywhere the eye could see there were desecrated ships of all sizes and varieties: French, Italian, British and Chinese, to name a few. This place was a sailor's worst nightmare. The haunted souls of the lost could be felt like a dense fog, lingering around in hopes of finding solace somewhere. That was not to be here, at World's End.

Jack slowly turned a circle, trying to get a better visual survey of his new location. Dark eyes fell upon the shattered remnants of the _Black Pearl_, and he sighed heavily. Resting his hand upon what was once the maidenhead, the captain petted his dearly departed vessel affectionately. "We went down just as we wanted, my girl: hard and fighting. You did me proud…"

He pushed away from the ship. This small desolate island was apparently to be his eternal damnation. Just Jack and his wrecked ship. No rest, no peace and not even a wee bit of plundering. "Tis Hell, Jones. Tis worse than Hell," he muttered darkly.

"You could do with a wash. You smell like entrails."

Another voice? Not just another voice, but a _female_ voice. Jack's head first and then his body snapped around in the direction from whence it came. There, a few yards from the shoreline of his humble island floated a dark head. It bobbed up and down rhythmically. As Jack got closer, he was quite relieved that it was a very attractive female face. _But what if she's got the body of a crab under that water?_ the captain thought warily. _If she stays there, you'll never have to know._

"Well, love…" Jack shifted to his normal, cocky swagger as he reached the border of land and water. "If ya happen to know where I might acquire a hot bath and other such luxuries, I will be happy to oblige you." The humor in his tone was rich. Like such a place existed in this hellhole.

"Can you hold your breath for five minutes?" came the response, a coy grin painted on the lovely woman's face. "It's a five minute swim from here."

He blinked a few times. Who was this woman? And why would Davy Jones ever allow such a fetching creature to exist in this torturous domain? "Aye, lass. I've got abundant skills with regards to water." Jack flirted shamelessly, even when he was most certainly not in the advantage.

She jerked her head in a silent bidding. "Come on, then. Before I change my mind and renege the offer." She started to turn, preparing to dive under the water, but paused. "Oh, I'm Lily, by the way. Welcome to At World's End, Captain Sparrow." With a grin, she was gone, vanished beneath the dark surface of the water.

"She knows who I am!" Jack stated rather proudly, but then he had to move quickly else lose track of this mysterious woman. He jerked to remove his effects, but there were none to discard for this swim. "Oh yes. Bloody kraken."

It took several moments for Jack's eyes to adjust to the darkness under the water, but then a beacon light caught his attention. Lily was holding what looked like a crystal stick, and it glowed. And she had a fin! _Mermaid_, he realized, trepidation sinking in. Mermaids were rumored to lead sailors to their deaths. _Oh bugger, Jack. Can it get any worse than this?_

Lily was obviously holding back her swimming strength so that Jack could keep up. It got darker as they swam deeper, and the crystal began to burn more brightly, lighting up more of the underwater environment. It was, perhaps, worse below the surface than what Jack had seen on dry land. The wreckage of ships spanned the history of time. The water life had laid claim to the ruins to make new homes for themselves.

Jack felt a hand around his wrist, and Lily tugged on it to keep the captain going, as he had paused to look at ships that had be from the era of Alexander the Great. He palmed toward her, wanting just a bit more time, and the look of irritation on her face amused him enough to strike a pose, putting his hands on his hips as he assumed a postulative stance.

Lily swam on. Either Jack would follow or find out the hard way that this wasn't the place for pausing to sightsee. A rush of water stalled her advance, and the mermaid's head shot around as quickly as it could, trying to find the source of that sudden blast of water movement. She spotted the large shadow moving very quickly through the water, and her eyes widened. Jack!

From the corner of his eye, Jack saw Lily swim off. He was annoying her, and the captain drew subtle pleasure from that notion. Even here, he could still get to the women. But really, the sight of the almost completely preserved ancient Grecian vessel was worthy of this precious time spent to see it. Except that, quite suddenly, Jack felt like something was advancing upon him quickly. Perhaps Lily was coming back to scare him!

No such luck. Jack turned to confront his attacker, only to discover it wasn't Lily at all. It was a shark. The rest of his oxygen reserve was lost in a scream that he couldn't stop if he'd wanted to, as the killer fish was almost upon him. To die as chum was perhaps the worst thing that Jack Sparrow could imagine. Besides ending his days on a farm with a litter of puppies and children about his feet.

Suddenly he was sinking. Not sinking, really. Jack was jerked downward at a rapid pace. Something was vise-locked around his ankle, dragging him in a zigzag pattern away from the shark's domain. He felt the warmth of the crystal against his skin, but his world was turning black with the lack of oxygen.

An arm was around his waist, and Jack felt himself pulled flush against a decidedly female form. And then lips against his… Despite the cold of the water, these lips were warm and soft…and oxygen was being given to him slowly and steadily, but the dark clamminess still enveloped the captain. _If I have to die, this is exactly how I want to go_, Jack thought as unconsciousness consumed him.

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